Choose the right method for each type of conclusion.
Surveys, interviews, mystery shopping, or social media scanning: each method answers a different question, and using them interchangeably can lead to incorrect conclusions from the data.
You choose the method based on the question that needs to be answered, not based on habit. If you want to know how many percent, use a survey. If you want to understand why, conduct interviews. If you want to see how the service experience actually unfolds, do a mystery shop. If you want to hear customers speak freely without being prompted, scan social media. A reliable brand audit typically combines multiple methods so that each layer has the right type of evidence.
- need percentage data for comparison: use surveys
- needs deep and emotional reasons: use qualitative interviews
- need to measure actual service experience: use anonymous test purchases
- use a single method for all types of conclusions
- scan social media and consider it representative of the entire customer base
The most common mistake in the brand diagnosis phase is using the wrong data collection method for the question at hand, not due to a lack of data. You survey when you should be interviewing, or trust social media comments as if they represent the entire customer base. The result is having numbers but not being able to make decisions, or making wrong decisions because the evidence is not the right type.
Four methods and questions each can answer
Each method is created to answer a specific type of question. If used incorrectly, data may be available but it won't lead to the necessary conclusions.
- Survey (quantitative research): answers the questions "what percentage" and "what ratio." Use it when you need numbers to compare two time points, two customer groups, or need data that is convincing enough for internal or partner use.
- Qualitative interviews: Answering the questions "why" and "what is really going on in the customer's mind." Interviews uncover motivations, attitudes, and beliefs hidden behind behavior, things that surveys cannot reach.
- Buy mystery shopping: Answer the question "how does the actual service experience unfold at each touchpoint?" This is observational research, recording what really happens, independent of what customers remember or choose to recount.
- Social media scanning and platform evaluation: answer the question "what do customers say about the brand when not prompted". Useful for capturing natural language and genuine concerns of customers, but it is important to understand the inherent biases of this channel.
When to choose which direction, when to combine two directions
Conclusion on ratios and scale: choose a survey. For example: "What percentage of customers recognized the brand before and after the campaign?" Surveys need to be designed with neutral questions, avoiding leading questions. Leading questions create false attractive numbers that do not reflect reality.
Concluding on reasons and emotions: choose qualitative interviews. For example: "Why do customers choose competitors even though our prices are lower?" Survey numbers show phenomena, interviews explain causes.
Concluding on the quality of touchpoints: combining anonymous test purchases and surveys. Test purchases to measure what really happens, surveys to gauge customer perceptions of the same touchpoint. The two dimensions complement each other: test purchases reveal staff not conveying the right message, while surveys show customers feel lacking in information.
Concluding on customers' natural language: start by scanning social media and reviews to gather terminology, then verify through interviews. Do not conclude directly from social media as it only represents the group willing to write publicly.
Common mistakes when selecting a method
- Using one method for all conclusions: often surveys because they are familiar and cheap. The result is a percentage but no understanding of the cause, leading to misguided interventions.
- Leading survey questions: ask "Are you satisfied with our professional service?" instead of asking neutrally. This creates attractive numbers but does not reflect reality.
- Viewing social media as representative of the entire audience: Public writing groups often lean towards extremes, either praising or criticizing strongly. Regular customers rarely speak up.
- Skipping anonymous test purchases to save costs: The consequence is never seeing which touchpoints are genuinely failing. Surveys cannot replace this step because customers do not remember or do not fully articulate what happened.
No method can cover everything on its own. Good practice is to combine testing for service accuracy, surveying for feedback, and interviewing for depth.
Intouch Insight, guide to coordinating research methods
Layered approach to brand audit
In a multi-layer brand audit, the method should be chosen based on the layer being examined, not simply based on habit or budget.
- Brand perception layer: focuses on surveys to measure recognition, associations, and trust levels.
- Touchpoint layer: use real samples and conduct anonymous purchases, from packaging and invoices to customer service calls.
- Positioning layer: based on interviews with leaders combined with competitor comparisons, as positioning is a strategic assessment that requires depth, not just ratios.
When collecting data, you should listen to both customers and the internal team to get both sides. The team often describes how the touchpoint operates in theory; customers share what they actually encounter. Where the two sides differ is where the real issues that need to be addressed lie.
You do not need to run all four methods at the same time. Start by clearly defining the question that needs to be answered, then choose the most suitable method for that question. If you need multiple types of conclusions, combine methods layer by layer, rather than applying one method to all.
Decision checklist
Topic: Choosing a method for collecting brand data. Sinh Vũ guide, sinhvu.com
Tick each item that applies or that you can already answer, then print or save as PDF to take with you.
If you have marked most of the signs above, this is the time to discuss in more detail. Sinh Vũ can help you review and propose a direction.
References
Greenbook, How Does Mystery Shopping Work; Cast & Hue, Qualitative vs Quantitative Consumer Research; Intouch Insight, What is Mystery Shopping; Sinh Vũ's practical experience in brand auditing.
Frequently asked questions
Are online surveys sufficient to conclude how customers perceive the brand?
Surveys measure ratios and compare groups, but they do not delve into the deeper reasons behind the numbers. If you need to understand why customers feel that way, you need additional qualitative interviews. Leading questions in surveys can also easily create false attractive numbers, so it's essential to design neutral questions.
Is mystery shopping expensive, and is it necessary?
Mystery shopping is the only way to capture what really happens at the touchpoint, rather than what customers remember or are willing to recount. If you skip this step, you won't see any service points that are truly failing. Keeping a record of the actual touchpoint while collecting data also helps provide a basis for comparison.
Do social media comments represent the entire customer base?
No. Social media only collects opinions from those willing to write publicly, often skewed towards extremes, either very positive or very negative. This data is useful for understanding the natural language and concerns of customers, but cannot be considered representative of the entire dataset.
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